Ways to say it
| Italian | Note |
|---|---|
| ho fame | |
| c'ho fame | colloquial |
While English uses the verb "to be" with the adjective "hungry," Italian uses the verb "to have" with the noun "hunger".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ho fame literally translates to "I have hunger". The word fame is a noun meaning "hunger".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The standard form is ho fame. In casual spoken Italian, you may encounter the colloquial contraction c'ho fame, where the particle ci is elided and attached to the verb. If you want to emphasize how hungry you are in an informal way, you can say Ho una fame!, which means "I have a huge hunger!"
How does it change in a sentence?
Because fame is a noun, you must use the verb avere (to have) instead of essere (to be). If you prefer to use an adjective instead of this phrase, you can use the masculine affamato or the feminine affamata.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying sono fame. This is a common error where English speakers incorrectly use the verb "to be" (essere) to translate "I am hungry". In Italian, you must use the verb "to have".
Did you know?
- To express extreme hunger, Italians often treat 'hunger' as something you can quantify, like saying ho una fame da lupi, meaning 'I have the hunger of wolves'.
- The word fame shares a distant root with the English word 'famine', both tracing back to a concept of disappearing or wasting away.
- Using the adjective affamato instead of the phrase ho fame often sounds more dramatic or desperate, like a character in a novel rather than someone just ready for lunch.
Examples in context
- Io ho fame. E tu?I'm hungry. How about you?This example shows how to ask the listener if they are also hungry using ho fame.Tatoeba #4433055 by Guybrush88, translation #2354171 by Hybrid
- Anche io ho fame.I'm hungry, too.This example uses ho fame to express that you are also hungry.Tatoeba #6533456 by Guybrush88, translation #6532420 by CK
- Io ho fame e sete.I'm hungry and thirsty.This example uses ho fame to state that you feel both hunger and thirst.Tatoeba #5160132 by Guybrush88, translation #1690392 by Spamster
- Non so, ma ho una fame!I don't know, but I'm so hungry!
- Sono affamato anch'io!I'm hungry too!
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Alessandro are walking through a park in the afternoon.
- ChiaraAlessandro, ho fame.Alessandro, I'm hungry.
- AlessandroAnche io ho fame, Chiara.I'm hungry too, Chiara.
- ChiaraAndiamo a mangiare qualcosa?Shall we go eat something?
- AlessandroSì, ottima idea.Yes, great idea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I'm hungry” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fame, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
